Dusk
by Icyeh
Summary: Three minds are better than one.
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Warriors and never will.

**Rated:** T

**Author's Note:** I can't say how sorry I am for not continuing "The Flames of Desire". Now that I'm back (hopefully for good), I'm still _not_ going to continue the story. Sorry, I'm just not into it anymore. I'll be writing a lot of short stories, though, and maybe a larger story sometime in the future.

Again, I'm really sorry.

* * *

DUSK

It was a silent, chilly morning as a young ThunderClan apprentice left the camp to go hunting. The sky was dark with the threat of rain, and not many cats were out. Most were huddling together in their dens, keeping warm. There was plenty of fresh-kill from the day before, so no cat really had to go out hunting. Still, Duskpaw felt that he had to get away from the camp for a bit, and no cat would be mad at him for wandering off if he brought back some extra fresh-kill for the kits and elders.

As he padded through the early leaf-fall woods, heading away from the lake, Duskpaw felt as if he were on the edge of a cliff; if he made one mistake, he would fall and be lost forever. Stopping for a moment beneath a bunch of ferns, he closed his eyes and waited for the feeling to pass. Yet it would not go away, and his heart began to thump wildly. _Something's nearby_. he thought fearfully. _Something's following me...I can feel it._

Raising his head, he sniffed the cold air. He could smell nothing but the usual smells of the forest. Feeling slightly more at ease, he continued on his way, putting each paw down carefully, as if he were stalking a mouse.

Suddenly, from behind, he heard the sounds of cats meowing to each other. Swiftly, Duskpaw hid behind a small pine tree, trying to remain silent and still.

As the cats drew closer, he recognized their scent: it was Yarrowpaw and Redpaw of his own Clan. The two apprentices were younger than him, and fond of gossip. They had never really liked him, and Duskpaw made no attempts to change their minds about him. He didn't care much for interaction with his fellow apprentices; he much preferred to either be by himself, or talk to the older cats. Young cats were a waste of time.

"Did you see Duskpaw this morning?" Yarrowpaw meowed. "He wasn't in his nest when I woke up."

"Yes, I saw him leave not long before you got up. I think he went out hunting," Redpaw answered.

Duskpaw heard Yarrowpaw sigh. "That cat is so _weird! _I mean, he's always by himself, or with the warriors and elders, and he's always got this distant look in his eyes."

"Maybe he's crazy," Redpaw growled.

"Maybe," Yarrowpaw replied. "I just hope we don't meet him out here. StarClan knows what he might do."

"So keep your voice down," Redpaw hissed as the two walked past Duskpaw's hiding spot. "He might hear you and get mad."

"No way! He never gets mad. Didn't you notice that?"

"Now that you mention it, I have. Or happy, either. He never shows _any_ emotion at all..."

The two apprentices' voices faded away into the distance and Duskpaw sighed with relief. He gazed up at the churning sky, his heart feeling heavy in his chest. _Am I really weird, StarClan?_ he asked silently. _Maybe Yarrowpaw and Redpaw are right. I'm not like the rest of the Clan_.

The only answer he received was a drop of rain in his eye that caused a momentary burning pain. Shaking his head, he began to pad up the hill again, away from the camp and his Clan, making sure to avoid Yarrowpaw and Redpaw's scent trail. Soon, he came upon a small clearing, one that he had never seen before. There was a small stump in the middle of the clearing, and Duskpaw's neck fur rose. _Twolegs_, he thought.

But as he stared at the clearing, his fur lay flat again. There was something compelling about that stump, something mysterious contained within the broken base of a slain tree. Duskpaw felt as if he had been here before, and that StarClan were telling him to move toward it. _Come, Duskpaw..._ a voice seemed to tell him, whispering in his ear like a gentle breeze. _Meet your destiny..._

Of their own will, his paws began to move him closer to the stump. Duskpaw thought that, even if he had wanted to, he wouldn't have been able to walk away. However, he felt no such compulsion; instead, he felt a searing curiosity: he _had_ to know what the voice wanted to tell him.

He went up to the stump and, in a motion as fluid as a stream, his muscles bunched and he sprang up to stand upon the base. Folding his hind legs underneath him, he stared across the clearing and waited.

In a time that seemed an eternity, or perhaps it was just a moment, the voice arrived. It circled his head, breathing quietly in his ear. Like a wind, it caressed his fur and flowed over his body. Duskpaw greeted it like an old friend, his orange eyes lighting up with happiness. "I've waited for you," he meowed. "How long I've waited..."

"I know," the voice answered. "I've been watching you, all this time. Are you ready for me to join with you?"

"Yes." Duskpaw's voice almost cracked with mingled pain and need.

The voice sighed with pleasure and seemed to sink through his fur and flesh, into his veins, and flowed up to his brain. Duskpaw stepped forward into the sudden darkness to join the voice, and together they padded through the corridors that opened up before them...

"No! No! Oh, StarClan, no!"

Duskpaw drew back from the darkness and returned to a nightmare.

A cat lay before him, its sightless eyes staring into his with a look of terror still fixed upon its face. The look seared into Duskpaw's mind and he forced his gaze away. It fell to his claws, which were still buried in the cat's throat.

His mouth fell open in horror and he disentangled himself from the carcass, backing away slowly, his limbs moving as if in slow motion. Blood stained the freezing ground, and around him were cats from his Clan, staring at him with such looks of pain and incomprehension that he could not meet their eyes. The cat who had cried out was Redpaw, who rushed forward suddenly to stand over the body of her friend, the apprentice Yarrowpaw. She nuzzled her friend's body silently, then raised her eyes to Duskpaw's, and the memory of her gaze, blank with pain, would stay with him forever. "Why?" she whispered. "Why did you do this, Duskpaw?"

There was nothing he could say, could do. He looked around at his Clan, and his leader came forward. She stopped a few tail-lengths away from him and bowed her head. When she looked up, a bolt of fear pierced Duskpaw's heart. "Get out of here," the ThunderClan leader growled, her shoulders shaking with fury. "If you ever come back here, Duskpaw, I'll kill you."

Duskpaw turned and ran.

_What's happening to me?_ he cried silently. _StarClan, what is wrong with me?!_

Then his fur tingled with horror as the voice whispered in his mind, _StarClan won't help you, murderer._

"You," Duskpaw whispered. "You did this."

_Yes, and I'll keep doing this_, the voice answered in a purr. _Until the day we die._

Duskpaw stopped on the edge of ThunderClan territory, his flanks heaving. He looked out over the forest, and his eyes went blank with pain. "I can't ever go back."

_No._

"I'll have to find my own territory," he meowed. "And live alone."

_You'll never have to be alone anymore_, the voice meowed.

The former ThunderClan apprentice turned and padded into the darkness once more, and the voice led his body away over the hills.

* * *

**If you want me to continue the story, please say so in a review. :)**  



	2. Chapter 2

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Warriors.

**Rated:** T

**Author's Note:** All right, I decided to continue "Dusk". I actually like this story, and I hope you guys will, too. :)

* * *

AS THE SKY COMES CRASHING DOWN

Far above the world, a hawk glided along on the gentle winds, her golden eyes taking in everything that went on below. Even from the air, she could have spotted a mouse scampering about in the fields. As it was, her keen eyes detected a different form; a dark-furred shape stalking through the tall grasses. She recognized the predatory movements and swerved away. It was no use attacking such a large and obviously dangerous creature; she would go elsewhere in search of prey.

In the field, the cat sensed something watching him and glanced up at the blue sky, a brilliant gleam in his eyes. But the hawk was gone from sight and he shrugged his shoulders and padded along, ever alert for danger.

It had been a quarter moon since he had been banished from ThunderClan for killing Yarrowpaw. Since then, he had hunted only small creatures: mice and shrews and other animals that dared to venture out onto his path.

The cat licked his lips at the memory of Yarrowpaw's blood on his lips. "Such a shame we haven't found any more little kittens, eh, Duskpaw?" he hissed. "Better than these scrawny mice and shrews."

As if from far away, a voice came to him. _Leave them alone. I'm not a murderer..._

He snorted. "You _are_ a murderer, Duskpaw, and the sooner you accept the fact, the sooner you can get on with your life. What's the big deal? Maybe life isn't as sacred as you've been told it is."

In the darkness of his mind, Duskpaw flinched away from the thought. Again, Redpaw's voice came into his mind: _"Why, Duskpaw?"_

"I didn't do it! I didn't!"

Suddenly, he stumbled. Duskpaw gave a cry of surprise as he tumbled down the side of a small hill at the edge of the field, his paws and tail in a jumble, trying to find a purchase on the steep slope. With a _thump_, he landed at the bottom of the hill, his body aching. Sitting up, he smoothed his chest fur down, his face hot with embarrassment. Praying to StarClan that no cat had seen his display of clumsiness, he stood and walked over to a small, stunted bush to clean himself properly.

_Why am I here again?_ he wondered. _Wasn't I just in that other place, the dark one?_

From the corner of his mind, he heard the voice whisper, _We switched, Duskpaw. You're in control now. And the next time you need me, I will come out to protect us both._

Duskpaw closed his eyes. "I want you to just go away," he growled. "I don't want you here, voice."

_You need me._

"Why? I was trained as a warrior before...before. I can take care of myself."

_We are not the same cat,_ the voice replied. _I know more about fighting than you, and I am better able to deal with things that would send you back to your nest quivering in fear. Believe me, Duskpaw, you need me around._

The dark tabby stared at the bottom of his paw, where the pad had been scratched by rocks on his downhill tumble, and blood was beginning to stain his fur. "Fine," he meowed. "As long as you don't kill any more cats."

The voice did not reply, and Duskpaw returned to the task of cleaning. In the quarter moon since he had been banished, the voice had not done much grooming, and now his fur was matted and dirty. _I suppose I look like a rogue now,_ he thought. _Other cats must be scared to come near me._

The sun slowly climbed the sky, and the warmth beat down on his back, making him pant to stay cool. The bush did little to shade his dark pelt from the sun's rays, and he decided that he should look for shelter and water. Abandoning his grooming, he stood and began to pad away over the fields, in search of shelter.

-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-

The sun was dipping towards the horizon when Duskpaw came upon a small pond, beside which grew a small tree. With a sigh of relief, he hurried over to the water and began to lap it up, letting the cool, sweet water flow smoothly down his throat. He was unaware that he was being watched until he felt a heftly paw slam down on his back. Coughing, Duskpaw spat out the water and spun around, claws extended. He snorted as drops of water seeped into his nostrils as he stared challengingly at his attacker, a large ginger tom. The other cat glared furiously at him, showing his teeth in a ferocious grin.

_Let me take over,_ the voice meowed. _I can fight him._

"No," Duskpaw muttered. "I can't..."

_Let me!_

Duskpaw stumbled as another cat pushed past him, a cat with eyes that glowed with a murderous flame. He retreated into the darkness and the voice turned his eyes on the ginger tom, who hissed at him.

"What are you doing here, kitten?" the rogue growled. "This is _my_ territory! Buzz off!"

The voice bared his teeth. "My, my, what a feisty one you are," he hissed. "Oh well, that makes it all the more fun."

The rogue let out a hiss of laughter. "You think you're going to fight me, you little scrap? Come on, then! I'll leave you out for crow-meat."

With a yowl, the voice leapt at his opponent, who rose onto his hind legs to swipe at the smaller cat. Ducking swiftly, the voice swerved and slashed his claws across the other cat's belly, causing him to come crashing to his paws. Turning quickly, he leapt on the ginger tom, burying his teeth in the back of his neck. With a cry of shock that turned into a low growl that faded away into silence, the ginger tom hung his head, his body going limp as life left his body.

The voice let the tom's body fall to the ground, and stared down at his fallen enemy. Growling with satisfaction, he fell upon the still-warm body, and began to satisfy his hunger as the bloody light of sunset seeped over the fields.

* * *


	3. Chapter 3

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Warriors.

**Rated:** T

**Author's Note:** I'm not going to be able to get on the computer for as long as I used to be, but I will _not_ abandon this story! I'll keep posting, so check back often. :)

* * *

ECHOES OF TWILIGHT

Shadows were lengthening by the time the voice finished feeding and sat back to lick the blood from his lips. He sat gazing at the sun's dying rays spreading across the field like blood from a wound, and reflected. Why did he have such a thirst for blood, for death? What force drove him to slay and eat his own kind? Why did he have the need to feel the rush before a kill, when you see the fear in your victim's eyes before you make the killing blow...

He shook his head, purring quietly. It didn't matter. It was his nature to kill, and he did it well. What use were you if you did not focus on your strengths? The strong should thrive, and the weak should be destroyed, otherwise the entire population would grow too weak to survive.

_But we must be merciful,_ came Duskpaw's voice in his mind. _We must treat others with respect and dignity._

"You're just repeating what you've been told all your life," he replied. "You're accustomed to believing that, and not questioning what others tell you. But it's high time you do that, Duskpaw, or you'll never live up to your true potential."

_Who are you to decide what my "true potential" is?_ Duskpaw meowed. _Who are you to dictate how I live the rest of my life? You've already stolen my Clan, my duty, my honour from me...what else do you want?_

"I've stolen nothing from you. I'm trying to live my _own_ life. If that interferes with your plans, that's your problem."

_Who _are_ you?_

"Call me Vox," the voice replied.

_Alright then, _Vox._ Why are you here?_

"I'm here because you need me. I was brought forth from your own mind, Duskpaw. You can't deny that you've never thought these things."

_I can_, Duskpaw replied fervently. _I've never thought of killing other cats before and eating them. I'm not like that. That's going against the warrior code._

Vox sighed. "I came from your own mind, Duskpaw. We're one and the same. Your _personality_, for lack of a better word, was _split_. You could call me your 'dark side'."

_How could that happen?_

"Beats me," Vox shrugged. "I just know that it happened, and now we're here, like this. We've got to make the best of the situation."

_By killing others?_

"That's my nature."

_You're evil._

"Maybe, maybe not. Maybe _you're_ the evil one, Duskpaw. Maybe those than simply _follow_, and believe what others tell them to believe, are the _real_ evil ones. Those that lead, and find their own way in life, are scorned. Why? Because we have dared to think differently."

_Killing's never the answer._

"You've killed before," Vox snarled. "Those poor, defenceless mice and squirrels and who knows what else. You don't think of _their_ families, and _their_ lives. You take them, and eat them, and think nothing of it. How is what I do any different?"

_But you're killing_ cats, Duskpaw meowed. _Our own _kind._ Of course it's different. It's not natural._

"How is killing unnatural, Duskpaw? Anything that _exists_, that happens, _has_ to be natural. Anything unnatural would not exist. _Could_ not exist."

_You're not making any sense._

"I'm making perfect sense; you're just unwilling to listen," Vox growled. He shook his head. "But, no matter. It's not my concern. Let's just keep moving while it's cooler."

Vox turned and padded away through the gathering darkness, and his eyes changed as he went. The pupils grew larger until they almost blotted out the orange, and he began to see the world in a different way. It always amazed him how different the world looked at night, when everything was bathed in a pale light that made even the most subtle objects sharp and clear. _This is the way the world should be_, he thought. _Clear. Uncomplicated. Open._

Heaving a sigh, the dark tabby tom walked away into the twilight.

* * *

**Oh my! Vox isn't just a murderer; he's philosophical about it, too! This chapter was short, but it's mostly just to give a name to Duskpaw's alter-ego, as well as reveal a little more of Vox's character. The next chapter should be longer, though. XD**


	4. Chapter 4

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Warriors. I do, however, own this story and the characters within. Do not use any part of this story without my permission.

**Rated:** T

**Author's Note:** I'm really sorry for being late with this chapter. I'm dealing with a bunch of issues in real life, and I'm not always allowed on the computer for very long. I'll try not to be so slow with updates again.

* * *

SUNLIGHT

"We should find somewhere to rest, out of the sun," Vox meowed, glaring up at the brightening sky. "We've been going all night, and I can't stand the light."

Duskpaw remembered a story he had heard when he was a kit, of cats who could not go out in the sun without burning to death, and shivered. Those cats drank the blood of kits, as well.

"I don't do anything like that, do I?" Vox growled in mock sadness.

_Murderer._

The dark tabby tom rolled his eyes and meowed, "Look, there's an abandoned badger set on the side of that hill. We can rest there until nightfall."

Without waiting for Duskpaw's reply, he headed up to the dark hole in the side of the hill, sniffing catiously. Though usually impatient, even he would not be so rash as to enter a badger's den without first making absolute sure that it was empty. Having determined that the scent was very stale, as if the set had not been used for moons, Vox padded inside.

The small cave was warm and dry, though the dirt walls seemed chalky and crumbled when Vox drew a claw over the surface. _No wonder badgers don't live here anymore. _Duskpaw's thoughts came into his mind. _This cave wouldn't last long in bad weather._

"You're right," Vox meowed. "But it'll do for now."

Curling up in the darkest corner, Vox closed his eyes and was soon fast asleep.

-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-

Red light from the setting sun slanted into the burrow, waking Duskpaw. Blinking to clear the sleep from his eyes, he poked his head out of the badger's set. "It should be a good night for travelling," he meowed.

Suddenly, there was a yowl from above, then, before Duskpaw had time to react, a flash of brown tabby fur shot by him and landed on the slope below. Amber eyes glittered furiously as the cat snarled. "This is _my_ territory, kitten!"

_I didn't notice any scent marks,_ Vox commented. Duskpaw blinked and echoed his words, "There weren't any scent marks."

"Don't need 'em," the loner hissed. "I defend my territory with fangs and claws, not scents!"

"But if you marked your territory, others wouldn't enter it," he reasoned.

The aggressive tom stalked closer to him, narrowing his eyes. "Did I say I didn't want others in my territory?" he growled. "I like a good fight."

Immediately, Duskpaw dropped into a defensive position. As soon as the tabby had spoken, Vox yowled, _Let me out! I'll fight him!_

"No," Duskpaw growled. "_I_ will. I don't want you coming out anymore."

"Who you talking to, kitten?" The loner was watching him warily now, his tail-tip twitching in confusion.

"Nobody."

"Don't play stupid, kitten! You were just talking to someone. Is there another cat in that hole?"

_Say yes,_ Vox urged. _It might make him nervous._

"Perhaps," Duskpaw replied guardedly. "You worried you can't take on more than one cat?"

"I can take on more cats than you've seen in your life!" the tom hissed, though Duskpaw detected a faint fear-scent coming off him. "I was raised to be a fighter."

"So was I," Duskpaw snarled, his neck fur rising. He extended his claws, and they glinted red in the light of the sunset. "You want me to show you?"

As a rule, cats do not usually look directly into one another's eyes; to them, the eyes reveal glimpses into the cat's soul, and it would be a terrible invasion of privacy to look at another cat's soul. Yet something within Duskpaw compelled him to meet the loner's eyes, and he did so.

In an instant, Duskpaw felt a wave of fury pass over him, and a wall of dark flame rose behind his eyes. He stumbled as the ground beneath his paws seemed to break, and he felt a sharp pain in his flank as the loner seized the opportunity. _I'm lost,_ he thought. _StarClan, will you still accept me?_

Through the darkness before his eyes came a faint, bloody light. Duskpaw flinched as he recognized the voice in his mind, the cat that haunted his dreams.

Vox snarled at Duskpaw. "Get up and fight, kit," he growled. "I didn't join with you just for you to die soon after. Fight, and prove yourself to be worth the honor of carrying my soul."

Duskpaw shook his head, shaking the darkness from him like drops of water. His whole body was on fire with pain as the loner bit deep into his side, but Duskpaw snarled and twisted his head, grasping the tabby's ear between his sharp teeth. The other tom hissed and spat into the younger cat's fur, but Duskpaw held on tight, tugging the loner's ear until it threatened to rip. Finally, the cat let go and leapt away.

The young gray cat got unsteadily to his paws and glared at his opponent. The other cat's ear was bleeding badly, and the thin skin was hanging down the side of his face. However, Duskpaw was wounded as well, and his limbs yowled with pain as he shifted his weight to his uninjured side. "Had enough?" he gasped.

"Never!" the loner yowled, throwing himself wildly at Duskpaw.

Seeing the tabby flying through the air towards him, Duskpaw suddenly remembered his mentor, Treefall. A brief pain tore at his heart, but there was no time for grief. Throwing himself on his back, he kicked out. He timed the move perfectly; the loner landed heavily on the younger cat, who used the tabby's momentum to continue his wild leap, and the cat landed clumsily on the hill, winded. A moment later, Duskpaw had landed on the tom's back and dug his claws in, hissing in the tabby's uninjured ear.

"I said, have you had enough?"

The tom growled, then whimpered as Duskpaw dragged his claws along the cat's back. "Yes, yes!" he yowled. "You can have the den, and these hunting grounds, just don't kill me!"

Duskpaw jumped off the cat's back, and the loner hurried off down the hill and over the field. The young exile breathed deeply, and a wild passion flooded through his veins. He had _won_ the fight, using his own strength. Treefall might not have been here to see him put his warrior skills into practice, but Duskpaw felt a sense of pride. _I can still be a warrior, even if I don't belong to any Clan._ he thought.

A wind stirred his ruffled fur, and a voice whispered in his ear. _We can be powerful, you and I. Our combined power shall conquer all who dare to stand in our way._

Now, as he watched his defeated enemy running terrified over the field below, Duskpaw believed Vox.

* * *

**I'm going to get back to working on this story. I'm sorry for not updating for a while, but I just haven't really been in the mood to write lately. I'll try to have the next chapter up sooner, though.**


	5. Chapter 5

**Disclaimer: **I don't own Warriors, but I do own this story, as well as all the character in it. Thou shalt not steal it.

**Rated:** T

**Author's Note:** Yay! Another chapter. :) Hopefully many more will soon follow...unless I get writers' cramp again. D:

* * *

THE WOUNDED

The sun was high and bright above Duskpaw's head as he padded alongside what Vox called a "fence". The murderer seemed to have knowledge of the Twolegs and the things that they built, and he explained to Duskpaw that Twolegs constructed fences for two reasons: to keep something in, and to keep other things out.

On the other side of this particular fence were many large, hoofed animals that amazed Duskpaw. They were tall, with thin legs and long, Twoleg-like hair on their heads and tails. Their pricked ears were more familiar to Duskpaw, though, for they resembled the ears of his own kind. The horses, creatures of Clan legend, swivelled their ears constantly. Every time an unfamiliar noise was made, their ears moved to catch the pitch of the sound, and they reacted according to a deep sense of flight or fight.

To Duskpaw, however, there was a third option: fright. While in the fields and hills just outside Clan territory, he had seen what Vox had called a hedgehog. The strange, prickly creature had puffed itself up and shown its spines, and Duskpaw had left it alone. Few animals seemed to utilise this option, but cats were one of the few. He remembered times where he had fluffed out his fur in an attempt to seem bigger than he actually was, in order to convince a dangerous enemy that he was well able to match its ferocity.

_Now you're beginning to think_, Vox murmured approvingly. _Too long have you blindly obeyed the teachings of StarClan and your leader. You need to think for yourself more often._

"_Am_ I thinking for myself, though?" Duskpaw muttered, mostly to himself. "Or are you putting these thoughts into my head?"

The quiet hissing of laughter tickled his ear. _You'll have to figure that one out for yourself, Duskpaw._

Shrugging, Duskpaw continued through the Twoleg's field, carefully avoiding the horses that occasionally stuck their noses through the fence to sniff curiously at him. As he walked, Duskpaw reflected that he was growing used to wandering through open fields. When he had first started out, he had been fearful all the time, his neck fur constantly ruffled with anxiety. Now, he travelled through the fields as calmly as a WindClan cat, though he still longed for trees overhead. Still, the fear was gone.

_Watch out!_ Vox hissed suddenly.

Duskpaw looked up, startled out of his thoughts. He noticed too late that a particularly curious horse-kit had come right up to the fence and was eyeing him. Her mother snorted in alarm and rushed over, kicking out at Duskpaw. The young tom dodged to the side, narrowly avoiding a fatal blow to the skull. However, the hoof struck him a glancing blow. The world spun before his eyes and colored lights flashed before him. His paws gave out beneath him and he fell to the ground.

-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-

"What happened? Did you see?"

"One of the stone-foots got him."

"Will he be okay?"

"What're ye askin' me for? I ain't a healer."

There came a low murmur of discontent, and a paw prodded his side. The young cat stirred, opening his eyes slowly.

Above him, two cats hovered anxiously, their tails flickering like snakes. They seemed to be showing concern for him, but he did not know why. He had no idea what had just happened to him, or why he was lying on the ground. Everything before this moment was lost in murky darkness, and he suddenly felt a bolt of fear pass through him. _Where am I?_ he wondered. _Who am I?_

His head hurt badly, but perhaps that was normal. Shaking it slowly, he struggled to his paws. Immediately, the older of the two cats stepped towards him. "Whoa now, young feller," he meowed, blue eyes wide with concern. "You just got knocked out cold by that there stone-foot. Are ye sure yer up to movin' about?"

"I think so," he replied. He found he could stand just fine, but as he took a step, he stumbled. The other cat moved swiftly to stand beside him, making sure he did not fall. "Thanks," he meowed.

"Yer still weak," the cat mewed. "Ye'd be better off restin' in the barn, if ye can make it that far."

The other cat, a young she-cat, flicked her tail in excitement. "Come on!" she meowed. "It's this way."

The young tom followed her slowly, sometimes leaning on the older tom for support. His legs were shaky, and he felt hot and cold all over, but he managed to make it to the "barn", as the cats had called it, and sunk down on the dry grass inside with relief.

The older of the two cats sat nearby, looking at him with concern, while the energetic she-cat stood, tail flicking wildly. She opened her mouth to speak, but the other cat cut her off. "How did ye come to be here, young'un? Ye're not from around here, I can tell that."

"I'm not really sure," he replied slowly, struggling to remember. "I just woke up on the ground, but I can't remember anything before that."

The older tom sighed. "I was afraid o' this," he meowed. "Ye've lost yer memory."

He shuffled his paws. "I guess I have. Where is this place?"

"Well, I can't be sayin'. I've lived 'ere all me life, same as my daughter. We're barn-cats." The older tom flicked his ear. "Do ye know yer name, young'un?"

"I can't remember ever having one."

The cat sighed. "Well, that's a shame. Young'un like ye shouldn't be burdened with such a thing as this. Anyway, me name's Sam, and this 'ere is my daughter, Hannah."

"Pleased to meet you both," the young cat meowed.

Hannah bounced over to him. "You need to have a name, too," she mewed, her green eyes bright. "How about...Galen?"

"Galen?" he repeated. "That's a nice name."

"Somehow, it doesn't seem to suit you, though," Sam mused. "How about Seraph?"

"Seraph?" Hannah purred. "That's a great name for you!"

The young tom's tail curled up in delight as he purred. "Thank you," he meowed. "It's a wonderful name."

"All right, then, young Seraph," Sam meowed. "Hannah can catch ye a mouse for dinner, then ye must rest. Yer wound will heal with time, and yer memory as well, with any luck."

Hannah jumped to her paws. "Don't worry, I'll catch you something," she meowed. "I'm a good hunter."

With that, she sped off into the bundles of dry grass, tail sticking straight up in the air. Sam watched her go, letting out a quiet _mrrow_ of laughter. "I'm glad ye came, though I wish it were under better circumstances. Hannah's always been a friendly kitten, and it would be good for her to have a friend. There are no young cats 'round 'ere."

Seraph gazed out of the barn door at the brilliant sunset. He could see out over the fields, which were growing steadily darker as the sun disappeared below the horizon. Where had he come from? Were there other young cats there? Did he have a mother somewhere who was worried about him? He sighed and turned away from the sight, in time to see Ariel returning with three mice hanging by the tails from her mouth. She set one at his feet, and Seraph suddenly realized that he was hungry. Thanking the she-cat, he bent to taste the warm, fresh meat.

Soon after, he was curled up in the warm, dry barn, fast asleep in the hay.

* * *

**Edited to change "Ariel" back to "Hannah".  
**


	6. Chapter 6

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Warriors. I do, however, own this story. Do not steal it.

**Rated:** T

**Author's Note:** I'm very sorry that I haven't updated in such a long time. To tell you the truth, thinking about this story, and writing about Duskpaw, Vox, and Seraph, has disturbed me greatly, and I found it very difficult to continue writing. However, though this story did bother me a great deal, I'm fairly confident that I can continue to write it now, and I will try my hardest to keep updates coming. But, please do not be surprised if there is a large gap between updates, as I am still having difficulties writing it.

* * *

DAYBREAK

_Voices whispered about his ears like _gentle breezes, calling out things that he couldn't quite catch. However, they seemed worried, angry, and restless as their voices faded and grew stronger, padding back and forth in the darkness.

Slowly, they came into sharper focus, and he pricked his ears, listening.

_Where am I? How long has it been?_

_I haven't fed properly in so long..._

_Seraph..._

The last voice was louder, from right beside him. He jumped, staring in that direction, and the pale outline of another cat came into view. She was a light brown tabby with a white chest that seemed to glow in the darkness, and she had kind amber eyes that met his without the uncertainty that he sensed from the others. "Hello, Seraph," she meowed in a voice that was as soft and warm as a spring breeze. "I'm glad to meet you. My name is Leafpool."

Seraph blinked back. "H-hello," he meowed. "I...I'm sorry, but...I've never met you before and...where am I?"

She purred quietly, sitting up and wrapping her tail neatly over her front paws. "Don't be frightened," she meowed. "I will not harm you. I am from StarClan, where dwell your warrior ancestors. We have been watching you."

"Warrior ancestors?" Seraph repeated, cocking his head.

Leafpool nodded. "You would not remember, but you came from somewhere a moon away from here, where there are four Clans of warrior cats. One Clan -- the Clan you came from -- is called ThunderClan."

Seraph shook his head. "No, I was born in the field," he mewed. "Sam and Hannah found me, and brought me to the barn. That was a moon ago."

"You are far older than a moon," Leafpool meowed. "You are nine moons old."

He drew back from her, frightened. "No, you're wrong!" he yowled. "I'm only one moon old! I can't been nine! If I was, that means I...I don't remember eight moons of my life..."

The tabby watched him sadly. "You are not the only one here, Seraph," she meowed gently. "You might have sensed them already."

Seraph wanted to protest, to tell her that she was wrong, but then he remembered all of the strange whisperings he had heard in the darkness, and nodded slowly. "Who are they?"

"They are you," Leafpool replied. "And yet, they are not. You are all part of a whole...a whole that was broken down into more than one part, for a reason that is unknown to StarClan. There are, so far, two others."

_She knows._

_Kill her._

"No!" Seraph yowled in the direction of the voices. "Leave her alone!"

He sensed the voices growing closer, and turned back to Leafpool. She moved closer to him, standing beside him protectively, and he felt safer. He stared into the darkness with her, and gasped as two pairs of orange eyes came closer.

One pair held a coldness that at once unnerved him and made his heart wrench with pity. They seemed to convey a great sense of loss, as well as a flicker of uncertainty that the owner would obviously prefer to hide. They were the eyes of someone who was lost and willing to listen to anyone.

The other were burning with a strength that scared him far more than the other pair, and he suddenly felt very small, as if the other were seeking out his every weakness. He blinked and tried to show strength in his gaze, but he wasn't sure that he managed it.

The two voices stopped, and Seraph saw that they were more than eyes, but that their pelts were very dark gray. _Like mine_, he thought.

Leafpool nodded to them. "Greetings, Duskpaw, Vox," she meowed. "I am Leafpool of StarClan."

Duskpaw, the one with the cold eyes, looked back at her with slight interest. "You were once the medicine cat of ThunderClan," he meowed, and Seraph gasped, looking up at her in astonishment. _She's from my Clan._ "In the time of the great Firestar."

Vox, the other one, with the eyes that seemed constantly angry, snorted. "What does StarClan want with a cat that's lost his mind?" he growled.

Leafpool's tail twitched. "You have not lost your mind, Vox," she meowed. "You are all still very much here."

Vox snarled. "We are _split_, StarClan fool. We are no longer _one_, as it should be."

"There is something that can be done about that, if you three wish it," Leafpool meowed. "Go to the mountains, and find the Tribe of Rushing Water."

Duskpaw looked startled. "The Tribe?" he meowed. "What can they do to help?"

"They have powers available to them that StarClan does not have," the medicine cat answered. "They may be able to restore you."

"So, StarClan can't do everything, after all!" Vox sneered.

Leafpool turned her cool amber gaze to him. "Did I say we could?"

"You've tricked the Clans into thinking you can."

"That belief," Leafpool meowed, her voice full of icy dislike. "Was created by the Clans, in order to feel safer. Believing that StarClan can do anything has calmed the hearts and minds of many cats over the generations."

"It's a lie!" Vox yowled. "Why not tell them differently? Why let them believe a lie?"

"Even if StarClan _can't_ do everything we would like to in order to ensure the safety of every Clan member," Leafpool meowed, "the belief that we can has helped many. If a cat believes we can always save them, that we will always be there for them, then they are content. That is enough."

Vox growled and shook his head. "It's a lie, though. You can't really do anything to help them."

"The belief that StarClan can help us _does_ help us," Duskpaw meowed suddenly. "It soothes those who believe."

Vox turned to him and hissed, and Duskpaw stared back coldly. Leafpool glared at them both. "Stop this fighting! We are not here to talk about beliefs. I came because Seraph needed to be made aware of you two, and you all needed to know what you must do in order to be whole again."

"What if we don't _want_ to be whole?" Vox challenged her.

Leafpool's ear twitched with irritation. "Do what you want," she meowed. "As you've said, StarClan does not control you. I cannot force you to do this, but I can _recommend_ it."

Getting to her paws, Leafpool reached down and touched her nose to Seraph's. As she did, he felt warmth spread through him and the darkness began to fade. _Do not fear them, Seraph,_ her voice whispered. _They will not harm one such as you._

Seraph took comfort in the StarClan cat's words, and slept peacefully for the rest of the night.

* * *

**Well, there's the latest chapter. One thing I _do_ enjoy about writing "Dusk" is that, with a story like this, I get to talk a lot about beliefs and theories about life...something that I've always enjoyed. p However disturbed Duskpaw/Vox/Seraph's mind is, it's still an interesting place to explore.**

**Or maybe I'm just odd... **


End file.
